Outline of todays workshop

  • What is this workshop about - working with the theory

what - how - why?

  • Brief recap from the lecture

  • Your working demand.

  • Longer assignment..

  • Workshop:

    • what to do?

Work shop tips:

  • Start strong, end stronger

  • End stronger: agenda - point at what we have learned, create highlight –> ask people what they have learned to get an summary

  • How did you feel to day: look at the progression, make people see the progression

  • REDUCE the fade out of workshops.

  • Be confident - only one way of doing this workshop

  • Parking lot - save issues so they feel head and makes them more relaxed.

  • Working with the training plan?

  • 1 hour group work

  • 1 hour presentation

Meeting your military work demands

  • What, how, why

Brief introduction to the workshop

The complex soldier

Physical Performance Continuum

(Figure from: Billing and Drain 2017; Drain and Reilly 2019)

The complex soldier

  • Occupational task requirements

  • Requirements are many for the modern soldier

Icebreaker :) (10 min)

  • First reflection task: Physical skills and mission ready

If you had to lead a mission tomorrow, what physical skills would you most rely on?

Occupational task requirements, can you mention some occupational tasks you will

  • Spend 6 minutes to discuss reflecting upon this question with your fellow cadet

Military working demands

  • What is your working demand in your field of expertise?

    • Spend two minutes to discuss reflecting upon this question

Military operations and physical fitness

Military readiness

  • Military readiness is dependent of soldiers’ physical fitness

Session 1: What Makes a Combat-Ready Soldier? (15 mins)

Discussion in two-three persons;

Why fitness is more that just passing physical training tests?

Elaborate; “Introduction to the idea of “functional” fitness vs. “test” fitness”

Session 2: Military work demands

Strength capacity

  • Moderate to strong correlations (r > 0.4)

Endurance capacity

  • Moderate to strong correlations (r > 0.4)

(Data from: Hauschild et al. 2017; Hendrickson et al. 2010; Mala et al. 2015; NATO 2019; Ojanen et al. 2018)

Session 2: What Makes a Combat-Ready Soldier? (25 mins)

Common combat roles and physical tasks (e.g. carrying gear, movement under fire, tactical obstacles)

Discussion;

“How does your (the cadet) daily physical training reflect these demands?”

If not in particular: How can you implement some of these working demand in your training day?

Session 3: Mission readiness to the Military Pentathlon (25 mins)

Session 3: Mission readiness to the Military Pentathlon (25 mins)

Group task:

  • Explain how each one aligns with real-life soldiering skills (speed, coordination, endurance, decision-making)

Cadets individual task:

  • Which event would challenge you most and why?

Group task:

  • Design a weekly PT session that includes at least one combat skill and one pentathlon-inspired drill

Wrap-Up & Cadet Takeaways (15 mins)

Recap key ideas:

Training with purpose

Linking PT to leadership and mission-readiness

Share a 1-page “Cadet Combat Conditioning Plan Template”

Optional: Introduce a Squad Challenge to try pentathlon-style drills weekly

Ideas to work on

  • work demand - dig, crawl ect. and do we have valid tests which is associated with this working demand?

  • capacity analysis (are you on point?)

  • General demand

  • challenges of systematic training over time in a military context?

References

Billing, Dan C., and Jace R. Drain. 2017. “International Congress on Soldiers’ Physical Performance 2017: Research Priorities Across the Service Members Operational Lifecycle.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 20 (November): S1–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2017.10.025.
Drain, Jace R., and Tara J. Reilly. 2019. “Physical Employment Standards, Physical Training and Musculoskeletal Injury in Physically Demanding Occupations.” Edited by Gemma S. Milligan, Sam D. Blacker, Pieter E. H. Brown, and Andrew G. Siddall. Work 63 (4): 495–508. https://doi.org/10.3233/wor-192963.
Hauschild, V. D., D. W. DeGroot, S. M. Hall, T. L. Grier, K. D. Deaver, K. G. Hauret, and B. H. Jones. 2017. “Fitness Tests and Occupational Tasks of Military Interest: A Systematic Review of Correlations.” Journal Article. Occup Environ Med 74 (2): 144–53. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2016-103684.
Hendrickson, N. R., M. A. Sharp, J. A. Alemany, L. A. Walker, E. A. Harman, B. A. Spiering, D. L. Hatfield, et al. 2010. “Combined Resistance and Endurance Training Improves Physical Capacity and Performance on Tactical Occupational Tasks.” Journal Article. Eur J Appl Physiol 109 (6): 1197–1208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1462-2.
Mala, J., T. K. Szivak, S. D. Flanagan, B. A. Comstock, J. Z. Laferrier, C. M. Maresh, and W. J. Kraemer. 2015. “The Role of Strength and Power During Performance of High Intensity Military Tasks Under Heavy Load Carriage.” Journal Article. US Army Med Dep J, 3–11.
NATO, Report. 2019. Journal Article.
Ojanen, T., H. Kyröläinen, M. Igendia, and K. Häkkinen. 2018. “Effect of Prolonged Military Field Training on Neuromuscular and Hormonal Responses and Shooting Performance in Warfighters.” Journal Article. Mil Med 183 (11-12): e705–12. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy122.